Man Hanging by Chairlift Is Rescued by Stranger at A-Basin

Mickey Wilson credits his ability to rescue the man to his slack lining skills.

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Photo provided by Mickey Wilson

It sounded like an internet hoax: Unconscious skier, hanging by his neck from a chairlift, is rescued by a quick-thinking, fast-acting, and incredibly athletic stranger, who climbs a lift tower and shimmies down the cable to reach him, cutting him loose just in time to prevent his death asphyxiation.

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“Today I saved someone’s life,” says Mickey Wilson at the beginning of his Facebook post recounting the incident, which occurred Thursday morning at Arapahoe Basin.

But Wilson’s heroics, though unbelievable, are true—and confirmed by numerous dramatic photos and videos captured by onlookers.

Denver post reporter Jesse Paul verified the facts with ski area officials and interviewed Wilson, who said he had spoken with the unidentified victim last night and reported that he was OK.

More than an extraordinarily dramatic story, it’s a cautionary tale for anyone who skis with a backpack: Take it off before you board a lift.